Reasons to be Praying for Your Pastor (adapted from Chuck Lawless)

Sunday is not his Sabbath. It is a tiring day.  It is a long day because it never begins on Sunday. Pastors prepare all week, often with a focused preparation on Saturday night. Then they are on the clock much of Sunday – welcoming people, hearing prayer concerns, listening to complaints, answering questions, shaking hands, hugging necks, checking in with the worship team, responding to unexpected needs, etc., etc., etc.  And all of that takes place in addition to preaching the Word!

Preaching is draining. It is difficult work to prepare a weekly message and then present the Word of God in a clear, concise, challenging way.  No sermon is perfect.  Pastors are often their worst critics. They are never fully pleased with what they have said and some let their mistakes and miscues bounce around in their head for days.  Mondays can become an emotional day as pastors tend to beat themselves up.

Family life is strained for a pastor and his family on a weekend. The pastor is so busy that he often has less time with his family. Meanwhile, they watch him find time to minister to others in the congregation and they long for that attention. People share their burdens and Sunday may be the only time when members have an opportunity to tell the pastor something face-to-face. A marriage has split up. A family has a health or financial concern. A child has problems at school. There may be conflict within the church. So much mental and emotional energy is given out on Sunday by the pastor.

Men who pray for their pastor daily and give him that regular word of affirmation are critical for this weekly cycle. Let your pastor know you support him and let the local church family know that there is a group of men who are ‘on his team’.  www.PastorPrayerTeam.com